Does anyone have a good link for finding out if your child is reading at or below their reading level? I have a second grade son that can read, he just doesn't want to read. His sister was reading really challenging books at this age. I know my daughter was way above her reading level and I shouldn't compare boys and girls or any kid for that matter. I would just like to know if he is reading at a good level and he is fine, or should I do some extra reading work with him.

Once you find the reading level he's at, try giving him books a little below that level to give him more confidence. My son didn't want to read very often. He technically reads at about a 4th grade level, but 2nd-3rd grade level books gave him more confidence and reading stamina. We've had to work up to real chapter books and such.

Of course, Star Wars books are helping, which are twaddle, but they're advanced twaddle.

my ds8 has been below reading level. i provide extra work at phonics and sight words (avoided sight words for years!), and it helps. i also try to provide books he's interested in. that has helped the motivation. he usually wants to read another chapter when we're done!

Once you find the reading level he's at, try giving him books a little below that level to give him more confidence. My son didn't want to read very often. He technically reads at about a 4th grade level, but 2nd-3rd grade level books gave him more confidence and reading stamina. We've had to work up to real chapter books and such.

Of course, Star Wars books are helping, which are twaddle, but they're advanced twaddle.

I'm in the same boat with Star Wars books...at least he has to use phonics a lot to sound out all the crazy words and names!

I'm in the same boat with Star Wars books...at least he has to use phonics a lot to sound out all the crazy words and names!

Yeah, *I* have trouble with those names! I'm so glad he can read them himself now instead of me reading out loud.

They've increased his reading stamina. He used to only read one chapter at a time of any book. Then a few weeks ago, he read an entire Clone Wars book in the van on the way to and from church. It was about 7 chapters! They were short chapters, but still. I was thrilled!

Unfortunately, our library seemed to only have the 5th-6th grade level Star Wars books at our branch, and those are a bit TOO much. I need to put some on hold from another branch, I guess. The 3rd-4th grade level Clone Wars books are just right.

I just tested both of my children with this link, and was wondering what to do now? LOL. What do these numbers tell me?

My 10y/o 4th grader tested at 8.7 . What books should she read?

My 6y/o 1st grader, who has had title I reading since September tested at 0.9. He may have been able to get only slightly higher had he been willing to try, but it only would have gotten him a few words from the second list. What should I get him for reading?!?! I read to him all the time, as does my daughter, but we have no books that he can read alone .

we read books from www.Readinga-z.comThey provide assessment reading test. Its all based on speed and then the child is testes with comprehention. Its $100 a year for subsription. Everything is downloadable. Here is a link to assessment

I just tested both of my children with this link, and was wondering what to do now? LOL. What do these numbers tell me?

My 10y/o 4th grader tested at 8.7 . What books should she read?

My 6y/o 1st grader, who has had title I reading since September tested at 0.9. He may have been able to get only slightly higher had he been willing to try, but it only would have gotten him a few words from the second list. What should I get him for reading?!?! I read to him all the time, as does my daughter, but we have no books that he can read alone .

Your 4th grader can read pretty much anything she wants! Reading at an almost 9th grade level will make almost any book accessible!

Using the assessment I linked, your son is reading at an almost 1st grade reading level. So he might be a little behind, but I wouldn't stress it. He's still only six, so he's got plenty of time to make it up. The Bob books are probably the easiest books to begin reading. Just keep working on phonics with him and he'll get it!

Ummmm... as i am pleased to hear that my 5 year old reading on 4th grade level - i kind of highly doubt it... He is reading middle of 1st grade level with me at home. 4rth grade books seems way too high for him...

Ummmm... as i am pleased to hear that my 5 year old reading on 4th grade level - i kind of highly doubt it... He is reading middle of 1st grade level with me at home. 4rth grade books seems way too high for him...

You might be surprised. I tested my ds with this 2 weeks ago and he tested 3.3. He can actually read above that although the books he enjoys the most are at a 2/3 grade level. I found it very accurate with both my kids.

Ummmm... as i am pleased to hear that my 5 year old reading on 4th grade level - i kind of highly doubt it... He is reading middle of 1st grade level with me at home. 4rth grade books seems way too high for him...

I've done another test that I think I got off Elizabeth's phonics site that had DS1 at 4.3 a couple months ago. I just did half of this test before he got frustrated and decided to quit (he'd only missed 7 words in the 5th level), and so far he'd be at 5.35, and on this test he'd actually be higher because I know there are some words in the other levels that he can read. We just didn't get there yet. I don't know if there are enough to bump him to 6+, but he could probably get around a 5.5 on this test.

I think 4th grade level is a little more accurate for my DS right now. Books he's comfortable with tend to be 2/3 grade level due to reading stamina. He's reading Charlotte's Web right now, a little bit at a time, and Scholastic says it's 4.9 reading level. That sounds about right. He needs help with some of the words in this book (he can read most of it, but just needs help here and there).

DS's reading level may have increased some due to AAS, but I don't think we've done enough to make THAT much of a difference yet.

Ummmm... as i am pleased to hear that my 5 year old reading on 4th grade level - i kind of highly doubt it... He is reading middle of 1st grade level with me at home. 4rth grade books seems way too high for him...

ha! that is how i feel- i just had my 6yo do this one for fun and she got an 8th grade level. then she said, "Some of those words, I have no idea what they mean, I was just reading them." which i knew, but it is a good point. 8th grade DECODING level (on a smallish sample of words) does not equate to an 8th grade reading level.

ha! that is how i feel- i just had my 6yo do this one for fun and she got an 8th grade level. then she said, "Some of those words, I have no idea what they mean, I was just reading them." which i knew, but it is a good point. 8th grade DECODING level (on a smallish sample of words) does not equate to an 8th grade reading level.

Ds just took the assessment and scored way higher than I imagined--I am a tad suspicious. I know he was just decoding many of the higher level words. So where does one get an accurate assessment of reading level, versus decoding level? Any free (or nearly free) resources out there?

Ds just took the assessment and scored way higher than I imagined--I am a tad suspicious. I know he was just decoding many of the higher level words. So where does one get an accurate assessment of reading level, versus decoding level? Any free (or nearly free) resources out there?

I have some very accurate reading tests. If you would like i can send you a sample of the level you are interested.

So, if we're not talking about decoding and are just talking about reading the words, is this a fairly accurate test? I just tested DS (I have been concerned about his reading) and I'm very pleased with the result. He tested about 3.3 and I'm sure he knows the meanings of all the words he read.

So, if we're not talking about decoding and are just talking about reading the words, is this a fairly accurate test? I just tested DS (I have been concerned about his reading) and I'm very pleased with the result. He tested about 3.3 and I'm sure he knows the meanings of all the words he read.

Are you asking if reading words can be taken as Reading test? (not just decoding test but actually reading test?) I would have to say no (my opinion). Reading test to determine Grade level consists of 2 things - words per min, and answering lots of comprehension questions.

Are you asking if reading words can be taken as Reading test? (not just decoding test but actually reading test?) I would have to say no (my opinion). Reading test to determine Grade level consists of 2 things - words per min, and answering lots of comprehension questions.

So, if we're not talking about decoding and are just talking about reading the words, is this a fairly accurate test? I just tested DS (I have been concerned about his reading) and I'm very pleased with the result. He tested about 3.3 and I'm sure he knows the meanings of all the words he read.

Any suggestion as to where I can find an accurate, FREE test?

This test and other free ones I have used (just google reading assessment) have been very accurate for my kids. They may be oddballs. If he tested 3.3 check out Scholastic Book Wizard for some titles of a similar level. Maybe Magic Tree House? They are right under that level. Have him read it aloud to you and you will know. Free, easy, accurate.

I asked my dh about this. He is a school psychologist and does a lot of academic testing. According to him, there isn't a test, per se, to determine reading level. As so many have stated, there are such different ways to determine reading ability - word decoding, comprehension, fluency, etc. For a rough idea of reading levels, he mentioned using word lists (as you have seen). Here is another website with two reading tests if you want to compare the results to the other word list test others have posted.http://homeschooling...cles/060899.htmAnother method to determine reading level is to get a few books with reading levels posted on them and then listen as the child reads read a few pages. If he/she misses approximately 5% of the words, then the book is good independent reading material and that gives you the child's reading level (if the child misses no words, the book is likely too easy; if he/she misses more than that, the book is likely too hard for independent reading).

ETA: I had my two older children do three reading assessments (word lists) to compare results. The link from pw23 seemed to score the highest, and the two tests from the link above were lower. My son's results were fairly consistent, and my daughter's were a little more spread out, but it still gives a decent picture as to reading level. On the three tests, my son scored 5.0, 4.3, and 4. My daughter scored 6.75, 5.0, and 4.8. In my opinion, the kids' highest score seems a little high, but the second two are probably pretty accurate.

The last test is the hardest one. I didn't do that one with dd (we're supposed to be taking a break today and I'd already made her do the other 2, lol), but I think she might miss night and road on the first list, but if she read them in context I know for a fact that she wouldn't miss them. That test would have her reading level at grade 1 and her instructional level at grade 2, because I know she'd miss at least 3 of the words on that list. The other 2 tests put her at a 2.4 for the first one in the thread and a 3.7 for the first one in KristenD's link. My dd doesn't know all the phonograms yet, so some things she just can't read unless they're in context.